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Monthly Archives: October 2017

All parents want their baby to explore and experience new sensations, but let’s be honest: babies can act a bit like cats sometimes – you spend large amounts of money on a fancy toy that includes all sorts of bells and whistles only to find your child (or cat) is much more interested in the cardboard box and packaging it arrived in! We have gathered DIY sensory play tools that you can make yourself for very little cost using inexpensive materials that you probably already have in your home, so if baby does get bored you can just recycle the toys you’ve made.

Sensory Bags

We love this activity because everything stays sealed in the bag so there is no mess and no danger of baby swallowing anything.

Fill a large, heavy duty, re-sealable bag with hair gel, glitter and small brightly coloured objects such as toys, buttons and foam shapes.

Seal the bag and then reinforce the edges of the bag with duct tape to ensure it cannot be opened.

Let baby squish and squash to their hearts content.

Sponge Fun

This is a great activity for hot days, your child will get wet so have fluffy towels and a change of clothes on hand for when playtime is over.

Cut clean cellulose type sponges into different shapes like hearts, circles and diamonds.

Set out a shallow tray of water with the sponges floating in them.

Baby will love the feeling of picking up and squeezing the absorbent sponges.

Some tips for sponge fun

Use different colours of sponges for added stimuli.

Use sponges that do not have a scrubbing surface or remove this material before giving to baby.

As always, keep a very close on eye on baby as they play with water and make sure they are supervised at all times.

Painting with Flowers

Exposing your baby to nature from a young age is important and with this activity you can create a beautiful keepsake as well. If you don’t have easy access to flowers we suggest ordering a bouquet from Bloom Magic, let the adults of the house enjoy it for a few days and then turn it into a sensory activity for your wee one. The sensations of paint and petals will be a new one for baby and will also allow them to experiment with pressure and motor skills.